Pastrami is on.

Mosca

I don't know why it's easier for me to do this "live", but it is.

I put a 3lb piece of corned beef into cold water Friday night around 11PM, and changed the water at 8PM Saturday evening, and 11PM Saturday night. Son of a gun I forgot about the time change and I'm an hour late getting this son of a gun on at 10AM instead of 9AM like I wanted, but oh well. The meat doesn't know what time it is, but we have to be somewhere at 5PM.

I used the Meathead recipe for the rub. It is on the Big Green Egg with a pit temp of 250*, target temp of 203*, and I'm using smoke box modification, a small aluminum loaf pan stuffed full of pecan chunks with holes in the bottom and sealed with double heavy duty foil. The holes face down and smoke gets drawn down into the fire, where VOCs get burned off.

This is a pretty lean piece of meat, so instead of wasting an aluminum pan I just wrapped the platesetter instead. 

paqman

I bet it will be good!  If time becomes a problem, you can smoke it until it reaches 150F and then steam the meat inside.  That's how we do it for Montreal smoked meat.

jtcBoynton

It is interesting that the Meathead recipe has changed.  Used to say: smoke until meat is 190-200º, refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and then steam until 203º.  Now says: smoke until meat is 150º, refrigerate if you want to use later (but can skip), and then steam to 203º.

Mosca

jtcBoynton said:

It is interesting that the Meathead recipe has changed.  Used to say: smoke until meat is 190-200º, refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and then steam until 203º.  Now says: smoke until meat is 150º, refrigerate if you want to use later (but can skip), and then steam to 203º.

And interesting you would post this. At 3:30 it was at 160, and no way going to be done in an hour or two. I took it off the BGE and put it on the steamer, and it is rockin' it's way merrily up the scale!

paqman

I think you did the right thing

jtcBoynton

I haven't tried the newer method yet.  It seems like it should work fine.  Plenty of smoke by the time the meat hits 150º or so.  Steaming is an efficient way to get it up to a nice tender 203º temp.  I plan to try it for St. Paddy's Day.

blind99

@paqman have you ever wrapped it tightly in foil and let it finish on the egg?

NPHuskerFL

Nice documentation. This is something I need to tackle. Can't wait for the results. They are sure to be a showstopper. 

paqman

@blind99 No, I always finish with steam.  IMHO, a good part of what makes pastrami and Montreal smoked what they are is the texture.  To achieve the right texture, steam is a mandatory step.

Renegaderam

Waiting for the finished product looks great

Mosca

Eh. The flavor was great, but it was heavy and dry as clay. I'm not sure what went sideways, but I'll figure it out. I have two more desalinating to try again Tuesday.

blind99

@paqman I've never had Montreal smoked meat but I have an idea in my head of what I want it to be. It'll be a project for the spring. 

@mosca that's a bummer, sorry to hear it didn't work out. I've got a brisket in the brine for corned beef and my wife is very dubious. Hope I don't screw up her st pattys day. 

blind99

This just popped into my email this morning. They talk about cooking 8-10 hours. Wifey tells me she boils CB all day. 

http://www.thermoworks.com/blog/2016/03/thermal-tips-st-patricks-day-corned-beef/?utm_source=Nl-2016Mar14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Feature&utm_content=inbox&utm_campaign=Mar2016-Corned-Beef-cs

fishlessman

my best luck is with the point, 180 degree internal, cool it down wrapped in fridge, then 20 to 30 minutes in a pressure cooker with beef broth. i bought a 20 dollar bed bath and beyond pc just for pastrami